It’s Just Lunch®: Personalized Matchmaking That Relies on Chemistry Between People — Not Profiles

The Short Version: In the poke-nudge-wink world of modern dating, it can take a lot of time — and energy — to find your perfect match. For the busy single professional, finding that time can be a real problem. The solution? Hire an expert. The fully-trained staff of matchmakers at It’s Just Lunch are dating professionals who take the legwork out of finding love. Not only do they take care of everything, but their hand-picked matches and face-to-face dates ensure each couple has the best chance at chemistry.

My friend Kara is always on the run. On an average day, she spends anywhere from eight to 10 hours at work, almost two hours commuting, and at least one more hour picking up groceries and dry cleaning. After fitting in a few hours of sleep and the occasional take-out meal, she barely has enough time to Netflix — let alone hunt for Mr. Right.

For the thousands of swamped singles struggling to fit dating between meetings and mergers, there’s It’s Just Lunch. A personalized matchmaking service that hand-selects each match, It’s Just Lunch has found success in making the dating process more efficient for their busy clients.

It’s Just Lunch believes meeting someone face-to-face is the only way to tell if there is chemistry.

“Our clients are not just clicking through profiles,” explains Melissa Brown, the CEO of It’s Just Lunch. “We send them on real dates, in a real setting.”

Their process is centered around the core idea that only a face-to-face meeting can reveal the chemistry between two people — and that chemistry is critical. Their clients seem to agree.

“At the end of my workday — I didn’t want to come home and look at profiles online,” says Desiree Schlitt, one of It’s Just Lunch’s many success stories. “I felt like it was a waste of my time.”

Personalized Service From the Initial Interview to Post-Date Review

The first step down the It’s Just Lunch path to a match — the initial interview — is one of the most important (receiving feedback after each date is also incredibly important). A matchmaker spends around 60 minutes with the client, getting to know the real them — their likes, dislikes, goals, and dreams. With years of training and experience, It’s Just Lunch’s matchmaking team is well-versed in ferreting out every detail, identifying exactly what their clients want and need in a partner.

It’s Just Lunch’s personalized process is six steps.

Once they have a good idea of who you are, they set about finding great matches. Clients have veto power over potential matches and can reject any who don’t pique their interest off the bat. Always privacy conscious, It’s Just Lunch only shares first names, basic career information, and a few hobbies for each potential date.

When both matches agree to meet, the matchmaker moves on to the next step — setting up a face-to-face date. As the name implies, many It’s Just Lunch meetups are lunch dates, though, the after-work drink has become increasingly popular. For clients whose weekdays are just too busy, they can also arrange a cozy weekend brunch.

Naturally, the hope is always that sparks fly, leading to a second date and more. Didn’t quite hit it off? Then it’s time for post-date feedback, where your matchmaker can get the scoop on what worked — and what didn’t — on your date. From there, they’ll fine-tune your future matches, with the goal of getting you closer to that special someone.

Great Training Paired With Natural Instinct Makes an It’s Just Lunch Expert

The heart of It’s Just Lunch is their team of matchmakers, who Melissa describes as “glass half-full kind of people” who love to be socially involved in their own lives. Melissa started her own career with It’s Just Lunch as a matchmaker and knows the type very well. “They enjoy getting to know people; they enjoy that aspect of life.”

It’s Just Lunch CEO Melissa Brown knows what it takes to be a great matchmaker — she started as one!

It’s Just Lunch’s matchmakers come from a variety of industries and have a wide range of backgrounds and skills — and, yes, they have male matchmakers, too. Regardless of their differences, though, these seasoned matchmaking professionals have a passion for helping people find love — and the highly-developed intuitions to succeed. “Our matchmakers have to have that natural ability, that instinct,” Melissa says. “That’s something you can’t teach.”

Of course, they don’t just rely on instinct; It’s Just Lunch has an in-depth, proprietary training program. “We teach them the It’s Just Lunch matching way,” explains Melissa. The It’s Just Lunch team even takes it a step further, making sure each matchmaker has the skills to help their clients excel at dating. “Many of our matchmakers are certified life coaches.”

The final qualification for an It’s Just Lunch matchmaker? Optimism in the face of dating adversity. “We all have a very dynamic, vibrant outlook on dating,” confides Melissa, adding, “We see that for our clients, too.”

It’s Just Lunch: Over 2 Million Matches in 25 Years

Since their inception in 1991, It’s Just Lunch has arranged over 2 million dates. It’s Just Lunch employs hundreds of matchmakers who are making matches not only in the United States but also Canada, London, Dublin, Australia, and Singapore.

The experts at It’s Just Lunch are making matches around the globe.

Kara continues to live her non-stop life — complete with an empty dance card and a full Netflix queue. While she might have trouble squeezing a date into her weekly planner, it’s easy to see how It’s Just Lunch can be a helping hand to busy professionals like her.

“Being a member of It’s Just Lunch is like having trusted friends set you up — but even better because they’re professionals,” says Beau and Jesalyn Garret, an It’s Just Lunch success story. “They know what they’re doing, and they do everything for you.”

As the editor-in-chief of DatingAdvice.com, I oversee content strategy, social media engagement, and media opportunities. When I'm not writing about cheese or my 20-year love affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, I'm listening to The Beatles, watching Harry Potter reruns (I'm a proud Slytherin!), or drinking IPAs.

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